Here
is a message from Sharon Maneki, who chairs the NFB Resolutions Committee:

Do
you think we should change a government policy, take a stand concerning an agency
for the blind, or create new regulations? If you do, consider writing a resolution.

At
the 2004 national convention the Resolutions Committee meeting will be held
on Wednesday, June 30. The committee will debate and discuss resolutions on
a wide variety of subjects. These resolutions will become the policy statements
of the organization.

To
ensure that your resolution will be considered by the committee, please send
it to President Maurer or to me by June 16, two weeks before the committee meeting.
If you miss this deadline, you must get three members of the committee to sponsor
your resolution and then get it to the chairman before the meeting begins. I
will be pleased to accept resolutions by email, <nfbmd@earthlink.net>;
fax, (410) 715-9597; or snail mail, 9013 Nelson Way, Columbia, Maryland 21045.
Remember that resolution sponsors or someone prepared to speak for them must
be present during the debate on the resolution during the meeting.

The
NFB of Alabama now has a new student division, the Alabama Association of Blind
Students. According to President Michael Jones, on March 6, 2004, at its annual
convention the Alabama affiliate's board of directors approved a constitution
for the student division and is thrilled to welcome this new group into the
movement to change what it means to be blind.

Lola
Pace-Wilson, seventy-seven, died Monday, February 2, 2004, in Wichita Falls,
Texas. Mrs. Pace-Wilson was a retired employment counselor for Sheppard Air
Force Base Civil Service. While employed there, she was selected as handicapped
employee of the year. She was president of the Wichita Falls Chapter of the
NFB of Texas for twenty years as well as serving on the state board of directors.
She especially enjoyed her work on the NFB of Texas Scholarship Committee.
Her many Federation friends and colleagues will miss her.

All Aboard, Federationists
in Mississippi and Tennessee:

In
an effort to assist Federationists to attend the sixty-fourth annual convention
of the National Federation of the Blind, a chartered bus is scheduled to pick
up Federationists in Jackson, Mississippi, and Memphis, Tennessee. The bus schedule
is as follows:

Departure June 29

Pick-up,
Jackson, Mississippi, 8:30 a.m.

Pick-up,
Memphis, Tennessee, 11:00 a.m.

Arrive,
Atlanta, Georgia, 7:00 p.m.

Departure from Atlanta,
July 6

Pick-up,
Atlanta, 9:00 a.m.

Arrive
Memphis, 4:30 p.m.

Arrive
Jackson, 8:00 p.m.

A
round-trip ticket costs $25 for Federationists only. Tickets for all others
are $35 a person. Make checks payable to the NFB. Riders in Mississippi should
send their checks or money orders and names to the attention of Sam Gleese,
president, NFB of Mississippi, 268 Lexington Avenue, Jackson, Mississippi
39209-5431,
phone (601) 969-3352 or (601) 969-0601 or email <samgleese@mscoalition.com>.

On March 31, 2004, Doug
Elliott's appointment to a three-year term on the board of the Iowa Commission
for the Blind was confirmed by the Iowa senate. Congratulations to Doug, one
of the leaders of the NFB of Iowa, and congratulations also to the commission
and the Iowa Department for the Blind, which it supervises.

Elected:

At
the January meeting of the Capital Chapter of the NFB of New Jersey, new officers
were elected. They are Mary Jo Partyka, president; Ben Constantini, vice president;
David Mostello, secretary; Jean Cannella, treasurer, Larry Morgan, historian;
and Henry Ingra and Sue Tillett, board members.

Honored:

Seville
Allen

On the evening of March
24, 2004, as part of Women's History Month, the Arlington County Commission
on the Status of Women presented its Vision Awards. The theme for the 2004 award
was "Women Inspiring Hope and Possibility," and the commission honored
six women who made significant contributions to the community. Our own Seville
Allen, a longtime leader in the NFB of Virginia, was one of the six, each of
whom was allowed three minutes to address the gathering. This is what Seville
said:

When
I was told I had three minutes to talk, I tried to decide what was the most
important message I wanted to get across. The words that kept playing in my
mind were, "No woman is an island; we are not successful on our own."

My
friends know I often say God intended that we work in teams. So I've decided
to talk about the teamwork that has made me the person I am today and made it
possible for me to receive this award as a woman of vision. I have received
my inspiration and hope from two major sources: the National Federation of the
Blind and my church.

The
NFB has taught me that it is respectable to be blind, and my colleagues have
showed me that we too are normal people who happen to have no eyesight. This
is important since we who are blind are usually seen first as blind and are
measured by our blindness, not our actual skills and abilities. I saw myself
this way until I met competent blind people who were not ashamed of that characteristic
and did not measure themselves according to their degree of eyesight but by
the same standards by which we measure our sighted peers. Some people in this
room taught me to respect myself and move beyond my blindness to develop my
real skills and abilities.

The
other place I gain strength is from my church, St. George's, right up the street
here, and some of those colleagues are here too. Fellow parishioners have helped
me grow in my spiritual beliefs, giving me a firm foundation for the way I act
on my values.

So
what about this team stuff? I recall one of my first experiences as an Arlington
resident was to join with many others to oppose I-66 coming through the county.
I was impressed with how responsive county officials were, actually returning
my phone calls. While we ended up with I-66, through this teamwork I made new
friends and became involved in other county activities.

Within
the National Federation of the Blind I've been invited to be a part of several
teams. Whether it be advocating for blind kids in the schools, helping senior
citizens receive training to live independently in their homes, or pushing a
bill through a legislative body, I've been a part of teams that pool their talents
to do the job.

And
it is from being a part of St. George's Church that I've learned how to appreciate
people's strengths and forgive their errors and weaknesses. I am a leader because
people have believed in me and have forgiven my errors and called on my strengths.
I am blessed with so much that I believe it only appropriate to give back to
my community; that's what life is all about.

Agriculture and Equestrian
Division Tours:

In
the April issue readers were promised that the May issue would include more
information about some special tours. Here it is:

The
Agricultural and Equestrian Division will sponsor two tours at this year's convention.
The first is Tuesday, June 29, 1:00 to 6:00 p.m. We'll visit a small hippotherapy/adaptive
riding center, an alpaca ranch, and a surprise destination, but we will not
be riding at the hippotherapy center. Suggested donation is $16, which includes
transportation and snacks.

Tour
Day, Saturday, July 3, 1:00 to 6:00 p.m. Polo anyone? We've been invited
to take polo lessons. The Chukkar Farm and Polo Club is intrigued by the idea
of adapting the game of polo for blind riders. Be sure to respond fast. This
tour will sell out. Suggested donation is $23, which includes transportation,
polo lessons, and picnic.

Deadline
for tour registration is Monday, June 14. Some seats may still be open, so please
contact us before you leave for Atlanta or upon arriving at the hotel. Reservations
may be made by contacting the tour coordinator below. Please make payments by
charge or check using PayPal, to regenerative@earthlink.net. He can also be
contacted for additional information. Tour coordinator and aquaculture researcher
is Fred Chambers, phone (760) 505-8500; email <regenerative@earthlink.net>.

Honored:

Joe
and Lora Van Lent

The Des Moines Chapter
of the National Federation of the Blind of Iowa held a chapter banquet on Saturday
evening, March 27. Though Joe Van Lent didn't know it at all and Lora thought
the honoree was Joe, the chapter had secretly planned a banquet to honor the
long service and loving persistence of two of its very finest members, Joe and
Lora Van Lent.

The
name of the award from the Des Moines Chapter was the Jacobus tenBroek Award,
given rarely and not given at all for a quarter of a century. Longtime Iowa
Federation leader and fellow vendor Bob Ray ably chaired the banquet, and newly
elected chapter President Peggy Chong closed the festivities with an elegant
tribute to Joe and Lora. Allen Harris, director of the Iowa Department for the
Blind, added to the many accolades with a certificate of distinguished service
from the department, along with a commemorative picture of the Van Lents.

Dr.
Maurer sent warm words, and two state legislators who have known Joe and Lora
for years, Representative John Connors and Senator Jack Holveck, attended and
gave moving tributes, as did many Federation friends, including state President
Peggy Elliott. National Association of Blind Merchants President Kevan Worley
keynoted the event, and former NABM President Charlie Allen and his wife Betty
made the long trek from Kentucky to join in the festivities. Many chapter members
noted that this was one of the few times Joe has been caught speechless, to
much warm merriment from the many friends and admirers present.

In Brief

Notices and information
in this section may be of interest to Monitor readers. We are not responsible
for the accuracy of the information; we have edited only for space and clarity.

New Publications
Available:

Arc
and Bark and Blindcites are new subscription quarterly publications
available in both large print and standard cassette formats. Arc and Bark
is for guide dog users. Blindcites publishes high-quality fiction and
poetry by blind writers. Both these magazines are mainstream and pay contributors
upon publication.

The
cost of each magazine is $25 a year, and both publications seek contributions.
To submit or subscribe, contact Dennis Holter, 1000 Kiely Boulevard, Apt. 21,
Santa Clara, California 95051, or email <dennisholter@yahoo.com>.

Washington Center's
Public Service Internships for Students with Disabilities:

The
Washington Center for Internships and Academic Seminars in conjunction with
the American Association of People with Disabilities introduces a new initiative
to help increase employment for students with disabilities. Through a partnership
with the U.S. Department of Labor's Office of Disability Employment Policy,
the Washington Center is working to help students with disabilities develop
leadership skills and gain valuable work experience in public service. The Washington
Center complements students' professional experience with solid academic training
for credit from highly qualified instructors. In addition, students will be
exposed to community, national, and international leaders through workshops,
seminars, lectures, embassy visits, and networking events held throughout each
semester.

Indiana
University Partners with Bookshare.org
to Expand Access to College Textbooks
for Students with Disabilities

Indiana
University, one of the nation's leading alternative-text production facilities
serving students with disabilities, has partnered with Bookshare.org, the leading
online library serving individuals with reading-related disabilities, to make
college textbooks available to students with disabilities nationwide.

Under
the terms of the partnership, Indiana University will contribute all textbooks
scanned in its production facility to the growing Bookshare.org library, the
largest contribution of education-specific materials to Bookshare.org to date.
These materials will be made available only to individuals with qualifying disabilities,
including visual impairments, mobility impairments, and learning disabilities
such as dyslexia. Qualifying Bookshare.org members may access the materials
online by becoming subscribers themselves or through access sponsored by an
organization such as a university or college.

The
arrangement ensures that Indiana University students with qualifying disabilities
will receive full access to the Bookshare.org collection of more than 16,000
books, including required course materials, reference books, and the latest
best-sellers.

The
Bookshare.org collection consists of books scanned by individuals and schools,
making print materials accessible using scanning and optical character recognition
technology, as well as books contributed directly by publishers and authors
in original digital forms. Indiana joins a number of schools nationwide in
the
effort to maximize the educational impact of Bookshare.org by sharing the textbooks
they have scanned for their students. The scale and history of Indiana's
book-scanning
operation--which has produced more than 1,800 books to date--promises to make
Bookshare.org a key resource for students at postsecondary institutions.

Transitional Youth
Program for the Blind:

Applications
are now being accepted for Winning Independence Now Guarantees Success (WINGS).
This five-week work program for blind youth begins July 11 and ends August 13,
2004. The all-inclusive program fee is $3,375. For more information contact
Shirley Riffle <sriffle@bism.com>, or Robin Zimmerman <rriffle@bism.com>
at Blind Industries and Services of Maryland (BISM); phone (410) 233-4567 or
(888) 322-4567, toll free. You may want to contact BISM to find out about its
numerous summer camps for kids.

Deep Sea Fishing
Opportunities:

Join
the Helen Keller Fishing Club for a day of fishing. The club is scheduling trips
aboard boats for the 2004 season from ports along the north and south shores
of Long Island.

This
unique club is now entering its fifty-sixth season and is known to be the only
deep sea fishing club in the United States for men and women who are blind,
visually impaired, and deaf-blind. If you would like to accompany the club for
a day of fishing and excitement or would like information on becoming a member
of the club, contact Walter Bach at Helen Keller Services for the Blind (718)
522-2122, extension 347.

Braille Magazines
Wanted:

As
Monitor readers know, materials produced for and circulated by the National
Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped (NLS) are available
only to citizens of the United States. Members of our sister organization, the
National Federation of the Blind of the United Kingdom, would appreciate receiving
copies of NLS magazines in Braille when American readers are ready to discard
them.

Anyone
interested in passing along Braille magazines should send them to Hans Cohn,
128 Walm Lane, London NW24RT, United Kingdom. Braille materials may be sent
using the Free Matter privilege. For further information, contact Mr. Cohn at
<hanscohn@waitrose.com>.

Panasonic Soliciting
Consumer Advice:

Ray
Slaton of Florida writes to say that he has just learned Panasonic Corporation
has created an access and compliance office. The company invites blind people
to phone or email with ideas about how it can make its products--VCRs, telephones,
DVD players, and such--more accessible. Contact information is as follows: email
Robert Wegner at <wegnerr@us.panasonic.com>, or phone (201) 392-6115.

Monitor
Mart

The
notices in this section have been edited for clarity, but we can pass along
only the information we were given. We are not responsible for the accuracy
of the statements made or the quality of the products for sale.

For Sale:

Ultra
Pro Aladdin closed-circuit TV, bought in 2001, is now for sale, hardly used.
It originally cost $2,395, now asking $1,800. If you are near enough, come see
it, operate it, and take it home. Contact Bonnie Dwork, 6810 108 Street, Forest
Hills, New York 11375-3367.

Wanted:

I
am seeking a copy of Braillables: A Manual for Parents and Teachers,
published at one time by the Guild for the Blind of Chicago. Any reasonable
offers will be considered. Please contact Shelley L. Rhodes at <rhod3021@kutztown.edu>
or by phone at (814) 323-3533.

For Sale:

Telesensory
Aladdin Ultra CCTV in excellent condition, used only a few times, fourteen-inch
black and white monitor, asking $850. Original price, $1,845. Magnifies letters
up to two inches in black text on white background or vice versa. Shipping cost
is $65 paid by buyer. Call (215) 568-6232 and leave message.

1.
Magni-Cam, a portable CCTV system that can connect to any TV and is easy to
install. It is in excellent condition. Small and light, it is very portable.
You can read anything from books to medicine bottles. Asking $600 or best offer.

2.
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone in four Braille volumes. Asking
$20.

3.
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix in ten Braille volumes. Asking
$40, or best offer.

4.
APH Handi-Cassette II. 4- or 2-track recorder/tape player in pretty good working
condition. Asking $120.

5.
Braille 'n Speak 640 that has just been repaired and is in like-new condition.
Asking $110 or best offer.

6.
Braille 'n Speak 2000 that has just been repaired and is in like-new condition.
Asking $1,200 or best offer.

7.
APH Handi-Cassette II, brand new and in excellent condition. Asking $130 or
best offer.

8.
APH Scholar that has just been repaired and is in like-new condition. Asking
$1,100 or best offer.

9.
Black talking watch with digital read-out and black leather band. It has an
alarm, stopwatch, hour report, and set time. it is in pretty good condition.
Asking $30.

10.
Quartz talking watch with large-print dial, white with black numbers. It has
Seiko movements by Marcel Drucker and features three alarms with either a rooster,
cuckoo, or beep. It speaks the time and has an on/off switch for hourly time
announcements. This men's or women's watch has a clear, audible voice and an
expandable silver bracelet. Asking $60.

If
you are interested in any of these items, please email Ms. Bradstreet at <alex@ebradstreet.net>.

For Sale:

Handmade tissue box covers,
placemats, coasters, and many other items in various designs and your choice
of colors. All items are woven yarn. Contact Henry Osborne in any format at
Hands-On Crafts, 127 Platt Street, Apartment D, Milford, Connecticut 06460-7542.
For pricing or other information, call (203) 876-1696, home, or (203) 809-4781,
cell.

I pledge to participate
actively in the efforts of the National Federation of the Blind to achieve equality,
opportunity, and security for the blind; to support the policies and programs
of the Federation; and to abide by its constitution.